Charmed, I'm sure

'Waking Ned Devine' makes it all worthwhile

Posted: Thursday, January 14, 1999

Every now and then a movie comes along that has absolutely everything going for it - like one of those perfect days you have once every eon, when you find that, even as you lie down to sleep at night, you can't stop smiling.

JuliePhillipsJordan

Days after "Waking Ned Devine" I'm still smiling, sweetly reminded that cinema still has shining moments.

First time feature director Kirk Jones has brought this simple story with great characters and true, unpretentious humor right out into the big time. In much the same way that last year's "The Full Monty" took audiences by storm, "Waking Ned Devine" has had similar effect, complete with early speculation about a best picture nomination from the Academy.

The story takes place in a tiny Irish town, population 52, and follows two of its irresistibly charming old gents, Jackie O'Shea (Ian Bannen, "Braveheart," "Ghandi," Gorky Park") and Michael O'Sullivan (David Kelly, "Fawlty Towers," "The Matchmaker"), who are notorious for getting into bits of good-natured mischief. When the two learn in a Dublin newspaper article that a resident of their very own village has won the lottery, a new bout of scheming begins.

Over a naked swim in the frigid Irish Sea, the two decide to woo each and every person in town with the hopes of sharing in a bit of the winnings.

Fifty-two chicken dinners and bottles of whiskey later, they still haven't solved the mystery of the winner - until they realize that one person didn't attend the special dinner - Ned Devine.

To their dismay, sweet, kind Ned has left the waking world, lotto ticket in hand. But does that mean they still can't cash in? Wouldn't generous Ned have wanted them to share in the wealth?

The same evening that Jackie finds Ned's frozen-stiff body, he has a dream that seals it for him. And the rest becomes a plan that, occasionally haphazardly and always hysterically, falls together. Of course, Jackie and Michael can't pull off their scheme without the help of the entire town - and that means splitting up the jackpot evenly between all 52 people.

The tales of people who win big sums and, owing to greed and a whole new lavish lifestyle, lose friends in the midst of all of their material gain - doesn't happen here at all. Instead, the joy of sharing creates an elation all its own.

And in our tragically unbalanced society, where sports stars feel the need to own 12 cars (or strike over salary caps), while around the world people are starving in the streets - this concept of equally-divided wealth is a charming, hope-filled example of how good life can be.

In fact, the whole film seems charmed. The kind of behind-the-scenes stories told in the press kit alone are the things that screenplays are made of.

Jones says that he found the perfect setting for the film in the Irish Sea on the Isle of Man - which makes for breathtaking backdrops. The island, which is government owned, is home to just the kind of ancient town Jones was looking for. (Although it's not actually part of Ireland, the age-old legend goes that an angry Irish giant scooped up part of Ireland and threw it out into the sea).

Convincing the people who actually live in the town (called Cregneash) to let the movie crew take over didn't go over well at first. But, says Jones, once he called a meeting and told the townspeople the story of the film, the group warmed up, even applauding the director, and many of the natives ended up in the film as extras.

Jones says the weather cooperated with the filming to an amazing extent as well - almost scene for scene, sun when they needed it, rain when they needed it, fog when they needed it. Not a bad way to make a directorial debut.